10 Secrets for Scoring the Best Deals at Luxury Hotels

Perfect advice for your next weekend away.

Jan 19, 2018

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For many, the new year is synonymous with vacation hunting, even if we have just had some time off. So, to ease the guilt of spending money on a weekend away after the demands of the festive break, we've asked the experts the best way to find deals and cheaper prices on luxury hotels, and here are their top tips:

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1. Book during January

While it might be the month that we're supposed to be being more careful with our spending, this actually bodes well for hotels being cheaper.

Emma McWhinney, the deputy editor at Secret Escapes explains: "With so few bookings taking place in January and with Christmas festivities in the past, hotels can focus on filling their rooms for the coming months by getting competitive on price.

"While we offer up to 70% off luxury properties on the site all-year round, we see some of our biggest discounts at the start of the year."

2. Stay on the edges of European cities

Staying just one town outside of major European travel destinations could mean spending significantly less money on a luxury hotel, according to the experts at Expedia.

"You’ll be surprised at the difference in price at hotels that are often just as impressive," they told us.

3. Sign up for e-mails

Though, at first glance, you might automatically click to opt out of hotel groups or travel websites email alerts, they sometimes come with booking discounts.

Megan French, a consumer expert at MoneySavingExpert.com says: "It can be worth signing up for the hotel or website’s email alerts to see if they are offering any special deals directly."

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4. Look out for loyalty programs

Both luxury hotel groups and travel booking websites often offer loyalty programs for regular guests which can come with perks, too.

"Keep an eye out for hotels that are part of loyalty programs – some of the hotels in our VIP Access are pretty cool. You can stay at The Goring in London for free, if you’ve built up some Expedia Rewards points, because at VIP hotels your points have double the burn value," an Expedia spokesperson said.

5. Opt for a cancellation policy

Though it often costs more to include a free cancellation policy when booking a hotel room, French says it has its benefits for saving money in the long run.

"If you opt for free cancellation – though remember this can be more expensive in the first place – always check back before your trip to see if the price has dropped. If so, see if you can cancel and rebook to save some cash, we’ve heard of people saving $277 doing this. ”

6. Book at the same time as purchasing a flight ticket

According to Expedia, purchasing both the hotel and flight at the same time on their website means you can save money.

"By combining the two together you unlock extra savings not available when buying separately," they revealed.

7. Start your trip on a Sunday

It might be more convenient to do a Friday-Sunday break, but you could save money doing it in reverse.

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Isabella Pinson Vice President, EMEA, at Hotels.com told us: "On Sunday nights, the weekend travellers have left the city and it’s the pre-Monday morning business rush. Hotels often have fantastic deals on Sunday nights and it’s also the night you’re more likely to get an upgrade, as hotels may be less occupied."

8. Go through a tour operator

With the world wide web at our fingertips it might seem odd to go into an old-fashioned tour operator to book a luxury hotel, but some operators have deals with hotel chains to offer customer discounts.

As Derek Moore, the chairman of AITO (Association of Independent Tour Operators) explains: “Tour operators often have long-term agreements with luxury hotels and are therefore in a good position to negotiate lower prices."

9. Look for hotels in financial districts

You may have thought you'd want to be among the action when visiting a new city for the first time, however, there could be perks to staying among the high-rise offices, as Pinson explains.

"Many cities which are popular for business travellers, such as Tokyo, London, Brussels and Sao Paulo, have fantastic room rates during the weekend once the ‘suits’ have left. You can sometimes find 5-star hotels for under $140 per night."

10. Stay away from the airport

If you've traveled far, it's understandable you want to get to your nice hotel bed as soon as you can. But Wesley Marley, the head of sales at Travel Republic, says there's something to be said for staying away from the airport.

“Be flexible and search for hotels that are not close to the airport. In some destinations, if you don’t mind a transfer of up to 2 hours, you will be rewarded with hotels of the highest standard as those near to the airport at a fraction of the price. One example is in Mauritius, where the Four Seasons Resort has a leading room rate of $540 per night and is a 30 minute drive from the airport, but the St. Regis Mauritius Resort is over an hour and half and has a leading room rate of $185. You may lose a bit of time from your holiday traveling, but with savings like this you could stay for longer.”

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